Judge in Canada Determines Thumbs Up Emoji is Legally Binding Contract

According to The Guardian, a judge in Canada has determined that the widely used “thumbs-up” emoji can serve as a legally binding agreement, carrying the same weight as a physical signature. This ruling, made by a judge in Saskatchewan, acknowledges the need for courts to adapt to the modern methods of communication.

The case involved a grain buyer who sent a bulk text to drum customers and a farmer who agreed to sell 86 tons of flax for about $13 a bushel. The buyer sent the contract agreement to the farmer via text message and asked the farmer to “confirm” receipt of the contract. He gave a thumbs up emoji when he received the document, but pulled out of the deal when linen prices rose.

The buyer sued the farmer, claiming that the thumbs up meant more than just acceptance of the contract. That represented the terms of the deal, and the judge agreed, ordering the farmer to cough up nearly $62,000, likely prompting a series of puke emojis.

Farmer Chris Achter said in an affidavit that he “didn’t have time to review” the contract and the thumbs up was just a receipt. Judge Timothy Keene relied on Dictionary.com’s definition of emoji, which states that the image is used “to express approval, approval, or encouragement in digital communication, especially in Western cultures,” ultimately favoring the grain buyer.

“This court readily acknowledges that the 👍 emoji is a non-traditional way to ‘sign’ a document, but under the circumstances this was nevertheless the proper way to convey the dual purpose of ‘signature,'” Judge Keene wrote.

The defense argued that giving emojis this type of power would open the “floodgates” for enhanced interpretations of other emojis. Although the court rejected this line of reasoning, anyone who regularly texts LOL emojis without laughing out loud is probably shaking in their boots right now.